Domain Names: A Big Deal for Business Websites
De BISAWiki
Domain names of a website are just like the social security number. It is a unique identity; no two websites can have the same domain name. In the online space crowded by millions of websites, the domain name is the first thing that helps your website stands out from the rest. Domain names greatly contribute to the branding of your business. Therefore, it is essential that you do it right the very first time, because that is the only best time to do it. So, what should be the influencing factors in picking the ideal domain for your business website? Here are a notable few points to ponder.
1. Subdomains vs. Custom Domains
A subdomain is an extension of your host's domain name. For example, the host of your website is Zoho Sites, then a subdomain would be www.yourbusiness.zohosites.com. A custom domain has no reference to the host. It is all about your business, and looks like this; www.yourbusiness.com.
Where you host your business website is the last thing your prospect is bothered about. All they want is credibility. Custom domain names provide that, and also project a sense of ownership.
2. Keyword-laden domains Vs. Brandable domains
Domain names are for humans only. The system and the network need a translation to understand where domain names are pointing. Each domain name translates to an IP address, which is a set of numbers that are hard to remember.
People remember domain names that are easy to remember. Straightforward? Domains like apple.com, ebay.com, google.com are short and brandable domains that create an excitement. If you are a multi-product company, then you might want your domain to be generic, so that all your products can be marketed with the same brand value. But for single-product organizations, having a relevant keyword or an industry-jargon, in combination with a brandable name could be a great bet. These fall under keyword-laden domains, and have their own advantage as well.
But the best part is, there are exceptions. And plenty of room for creativity. What would you call a domain name that is an entire sentence, and is about 30 characters long? A bad domain? Before you answer, check it out; whenwasthelasttimeyoudidsomethingforthefirsttime.eastpak.com
Most free website builders allow you to create and publish websites with a subdomain, mostly for free. And Google says it will treat both kinds of domains equally. So algorithmically, it really doesn’t make a big difference.
3. Extensions yourbusiness.com isn’t the same as yourbusiness.org. Each extension has its purpose. The most widely used is .com; non-profit organizations use .org; the government, .gov; and there’s more. There are region based extensions as well, which are perfect if your business caters to an audience in a particular country only. If your business is serving a global audience, it is best to pick a .com domain name. 4. Brand Establishment Before you pick a domain name, you might want to ensure that the same name is available across different social platforms as well. You'd be using Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other viral social media platforms to connect with your audience. It would hurt your brand if one of them does not belong to your organization, and is posting stuff that is not just appropriate. 5. Business email hosting The advantage of having a custom domain is that you can host your business email on it. It would read you@yourbusiness.com, and not you@gmail.com or you@zoho.com. The former promotes your domain name and helps in establishing an identity. These are few reasons why picking a domain name is one of the first things you should do when setting up a business. All the worse when you do it late, because the one in your mind might be taken already. Hope this helps you in picking a great domain name for your business website. And business email, because business website building and email hosting always go hand-in-hand.
